MTVP So Cal Summer: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1.15: "Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!"

“No, you’d be surprised. You lie to yourself well enough, you can convince other people, too.”
-Rebecca

A return to our So Cal Summer series means a return to one of my favorite shows, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” “Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!” was the most experimental episode of the first season at least (I haven’t brought myself to watch the second season yet because of some plot developments I’m aware of, but I’ll rip that Band-Aid off eventually). I’m not usually a huge fan of experimental episodes that are mostly filler, but I really enjoyed rewatching this one, and I think that speaks to the quality of the series as a whole. If a filler episode can have so many nuances and layers and funny and poignant moments, what does that say about the real sweeps types episodes? I think this episode just spoke to me because it’s all about appreciating what you have in life instead of perseverating on what has gone wrong. That’s something I need to work on, and to see it laid out so clearly made me really do some thinking. 2016 was a difficult year for many of us, and I was very focused on things that went wrong. But there are a lot of people right here who care about me and would be upset if I suddenly disappeared, and that’s exactly the lesson Rebecca learns in this episode.

We pick up in this episode after Rebecca has learned that Josh and Valencia are going to stay together and she runs off. She finds herself on a plane next to Dr. Akopian, her (sort of) therapist, who has offered to spend the five hour flight doing some therapy. At first, we think Rebecca is going to Hawaii, because she was originally going to be kind of a stalker and follow Josh there, but instead we soon find that she’s actually on her way to New York. She asked her old firm if she could have her job back, and they were only too happy to oblige. Another important point – the Dr. Akopian that Rebecca is talking to isn’t the real Dr. Akopian. Rebecca took some sleeping pills along with a Bloody Mary and is having a very vivid dream. The Dr. Akopian in the dream says she’s a “Dream Ghost” who is supposed to help Rebecca work out her problems. She is joined by two other Dream Ghosts, played by Ricki Lake and Amber Riley, who sing about their job and how their “union health plan” doesn’t have dental. It’s a pretty great “Dream Girls” pastiche, but the union health plan thing bugged me. People not in unions get way worse benefits. If you want awesome benefits, be lucky enough to get a union job. Unions have been negotiating awesome benefits in lieu of salary increases for decades.

Meanwhile, back in West Covinia, Paula is camped out in Rebecca’s house enjoying a little “staycation” while she thinks Rebecca is in Hawaii frolicking with Josh. She realizes that all is not actually well, however, when Josh stops by to talk about the situation with Valencia. Since he’s not in Hawaii and all. Darryl stops by looking for Rebecca, and so does Greg. Paula decides to take drastic measures and logs on to Rebecca’s computer (because naturally she knows her bestie’s password). She quickly realizes that Rebecca didn’t go to Hawaii after all. She finds a great deal of evidence that Rebecca is actually planning on moving back to New York. This still makes the whole crew upset, and they keep milling about Rebecca’s house. I have a close group of friends here, but if they broke into my apartment and just hung out for a while, I’d be kind of pissed off. Just saying.

Anyway, Dr. Akopian guides Rebecca through a couple different memories during the course of the episode. First there’s the time not long after her parents divorce when Rebecca secretly traveled to Santa Fe to see her father on Spring Break. He acted all happy to see her, and he was accommodating for the most part about doing the things Rebecca wanted to do at first, but after just a couple days, Rebecca’s mom shows up at the door. Present-Day Rebecca is convinced that her mom just wanted to destroy her relationship with her dad, but Dr. Akopian shows Rebecca what really happened (since Rebecca had no knowledge of the ensuing conversation between her parents, I’m not sure how this was supposed to work, but I guess I’ll go with it, since it worked emotionally). Rebecca’s dad had called her mom to come pick Rebecca up because the mere presence of his daughter was interfering with his efforts to “find himself” or whatever. Rebecca’s mom, understandably, is pissed. Not so much at Rebecca, but at her father for being unable to deal with Rebecca for even a few days. Rebecca is devastated to learn the truth, but Dr. Akopian tries to point out how much her mother loves her. Rebecca rightfully counters that a mother’s love is kind of the bare minimum of love one should expect in one’s life.

We next see Rebecca in college, where she’s participating in a really pretentious guy’s student production of a “Moby Dick” musical. She catches the director’s attention, and naturally they sleep together. And of course there’s also a schlubby fellow cast member who is kind to and protective of Rebecca, but she friend zones him. Eventually, the director admits to Rebecca that he’s been sleeping with several members of the cast, and Rebecca, to her credit, is having none of that. She drops out of the production. At first, Rebecca assumes that Dr. Akopian is trying to tell her that she shouldn’t have overlooked schlubby guy. She actually had a different point, though. Rebecca has always had a love for music and musical theater that has sustained her through dark times. Rebecca admits that she does stage musical numbers in her head to try and make sense of the world (it’s the premise of the show, after all!). So love doesn’t necessarily have to come from a person to be meaningful.

Finally, Dr. Akopian shows Rebecca how worried all her West Covina friends have been about her (contrasting her New York coworkers who cheered when Rebecca last impulsively moved). Rebecca, trying to win an argument, speculates that Greg probably wasn’t all that upset. Dr. Akopian tells Rebecca to check Greg’s phone though, where Rebecca discovers that before he realized Rebecca was safe, Greg called all the local hospitals, and even morgues and funeral homes. Rebecca returns home, and the gang is all extremely relieved to see her. She reassures everyone that she’s back in West Covina for good, and she gives Greg a hug and a “thank you” (much to his shock, obviously). For now, at least, Rebecca is content to enjoy the love she has in her life, even if it isn’t perfect romantic love.

Fresh off the Boat 3.11: "Clean Slate"

“I forgot to pick up my lucky red dress from the dry cleaners. The one I’ve worn every New Year since I retired my women’s power suit/ dragon brooch combo in 1989.”
-Jessica

I think the one adjective I would use to describe “Clean Slate” is “cute.” It was the show’s second Chinese New Year episode. “Fresh off the Boat” is in a unique position to show its characters celebrating Chinese New Years. Last year’s episode took it as more of an opportunity to speak about larger issues surrounding Asian culture and othering. This year’s episode seemed to take more of a typical family holiday problems, just with a holiday you don’t hear about much approach. I think both approaches are ways for “Fresh off the Boat” to make a statement. As one of only a couple comedies that feature an Asian family, the show has a unique chance to present a perspective that we don’t often get to see in pop culture. Part of me wishes this episode had been a little more aggressive on that front, but I suppose the normality of holidays for Americans of all background can be powerful too.

Since Chinese New Year is coming up, Louis takes Evan to his barber, Reuben, for fresh hair cuts. Louis wants the “usual” for himself, but Evan wants a “Randy” (as in he wants to look like Johnathan Taylor Thomas’ character from “Home Improvement). Sadly for Evan, the haircut does not turn out looking at all like mid-90’s JTT. Back at the house, Jessica grills the whole family on whether they have settled all their disputes for the new year. Louis has returned a bird feeder to Marvin, Evan has settled a beef he had with a neighbor who finished one of his jokes, and Grandma has even settled a decades-long grudge with her cousin. Jessica is thrilled, because she thinks this could be the first year where the Huang family has a completely clean slate, ensuring them good fortune for their business dealings in the coming year.

Unfortunately, most of the characters’ clean slates will be seriously tested throughout the episode. Grandma’s cousin asked if her great-nephew Simon who is studying abroad in Florida, could spend the New Year with the Huangs, and Grandma agreed. Jessica isn’t thrilled about this, but she stays gracious for the sake of maintaining the clean slate. She makes Simon Eddie’s responsibility, which does not at all thrill Eddie, naturally. He thinks Simon is a tall/older version of Eddie (ie super nerdy and not at all into the things Eddie likes). Eddie tries to distract Simon with a copy of Mad Magazine so that he can go hang out and freestyle with his friends. When Jessica figures this out, she commands Eddie to go hang out with Simon instead.

Meanwhile, Evan is in a panic and tells Louis that a letter he wrote is missing. It’s hate mail, so he was going to wait until after the New Year to actually mail it. And it’s to Reuben the barber. Louis is very upset about this. It will bring Evan bad luck, and since barbers all talk, the two of them will probably never get a decent haircut in Orlando again. They feel like they have no choice other than to intercept and steal the letter before Reuben can read it. They go into the shop and try to see if the Sports Illustrated issue has been switched out for the next week yet. If it has been, they’ll know the mail has already arrived. Unfortunately, Reuben catches them, and Louis tells him that Evan needs yet another haircut. Poor Evan’s hair looks even worse after attempt number two.

Jessica is eating ice cream when she realizes that her lucky red dress is still at the dry cleaner’s. She had planned to not leave the house to minimize her risk of getting into an argument and breaking her clean slate, but she’s been wearing the dress since 1990, and she’s not going to stop now. She enlists Emery’s help. Since he gets along with everyone, he’s going to be her “kindness Sherpa” and help keep her out of trouble on the outing. It’s a challenge right from the get-go. Jessica and Emery are confronted with some very loud new wind chimes outside of Honey and Marvin’s house. She really wants to destroy the chimes, but Emery convinces her to wait until after the New Year. There are so many potential obstacles for Jessica at the dry cleaner’s. There’s the fact that the dry cleaner likes to call her “Jessie,” and there’s the guy trying to collect donations to save the wales outside the shop. Emery thinks it’s better if he goes in and retrieves the dress on his own, and he puts on NPR to help Jessica zone out. Emery is taking a long time, though, and Jessica makes her way inside the shop to find him arguing with the dry cleaner over whether he gave him a $10 or a $20.

Eddie and Simon play some SNES, which makes me happy since that’s the only console gaming system I’ve ever owned. It’s even hooked up to my television right now! I spent plenty of happy hours playing Super Mario and Donkey Kong Country games. Eddie tells Simon he is “controlling the Koopas” in the Mario game they’re playing, which obviously isn’t really a thing. Grandma is not impressed with Eddie’s lack of hospitality, and she instructs him to show Simon what American life is like. She does not want to get into another thirty-year feud with her cousin. Eddie takes Simon to the mall at ditches him at Build-A-Bear so he can go hang out with his friends. Simon interrupts Eddie freestyling to present the bears he made that look like himself and Eddie. Eddie has had it, so he freestyles an insulting rap about Simon. Simon gives it right back to Eddie with an even better rap and finally earns some respect.

Emery is very upset with Jessica that she didn’t stand up for him at the dry cleaner’s, so Jessica goes back to try and make things right. She tells the dry cleaner that she’s willing to pay the extra $5 if he takes Emery’s picture off his wall. The dry cleaner agrees. Jessica then says he should get ready to take her picture, because she’s about to do something to deserve it. She lets the rest of the family think that she still has a clean slate, though, even though she doesn’t. After unsuccessfully trying to steal the hate letter from the mailman, Evan and Louis have a heart-to-heart about haircuts. Louis reveals that he didn’t want his haircut when he first went to Reuben, either. He wanted the “Clooney.” Evan convinces Louis to “date around” for a new barber, and the resulting “Clooney” looks terrible. Louis is cool with it and chalks it up to a lesson learned. The big family New Year dinner is a rousing success, and Eddie and Simon entertain family and friends with more freestyling.

This Is Us 1.17: “What Now?”

“It’s my fault. I’m the reason he’s dead.”
- Kate

We are in the final episode before the season finale and I don’t know what I’m feeling. Jack is not handling Rebecca’s assertion of independence well. Randall’s grieving the loss of another father and Kevin and Kate are a tiny bit adrift. Get things together Pearsons! My tear ducts can’t handle this. In fact, I have a habit of watching this show on public transportation (because I’m stupid) and I flat out cried openly this episode.

In the past, we pick up with Jack and Rebecca where Rebecca is just about to go off on tour. Jack is late getting home (he’s at a retirement party for a colleague he doesn’t particularly like). Rebecca is mad that he didn’t leave when he said he would. It’s so painful to see the two of them at odds like this. We’re so used to them being strong and united. I don’t like them fighting. And neither does Kate. After Rebecca leaves (Jack only gives her a peck on the cheek), Kate admonishes him and he goes out to say a proper goodbye but she’s already gone. Then when he drops them off at a friend’s house for a party, she doesn’t get out of the car because she’s worried something is wrong with her parents. He tries to convince her that everything is fine and she should worry about being a teenage girl. But, at the after-party for the retirement party when his assistant hits on him, he realizes his daughter was right and he needs to be with his wife. But of course, he’s been drinking and that can’t lead anywhere good.

In the present, we find the Pearson clan trying to figure out how to mourn William (I have to say I loved the bit of the acoustic version of the song from last week playing as Randall is looking around William’s room). Beth and Randall find a note from William to the girls, putting them in charge of his memorial service. Because the girls are so darn cute, they come up with celebrating his life by recreating his perfect day with the rest of the family in attendance (including Rebecca and Miguel). Rebecca is apprehensive about being there given her role in keeping William and Randall apart for so many years. But there’s breakfast to be had, until Beth kind of loses it in the kitchen with Randall. First, she’s upset because she looks in the cabinet and realizes she refilled all of William’s medications. And then, she laments that she didn’t even get to say goodbye to him like Randall did with the trip to Memphis or Jessie in private or the girls by planning the memorial. So when it comes time for the “toast” (eulogy), Randall hands the mic over to his wife. She gives a great speech which ends with noting that going forward; the family is going to remember things before William and after William.

At this point, Kate kind of loses it. When Toby tries to comfort her, she just runs out of the house crying. Randall goes to console his sister and she admits that since the camp and the therapy, a lot of things have been coming to the surface for her emotionally, especially about Jack. She promises Toby as the family heads off on William’s afternoon walk that she will tell him after Kevin’s play that night. And as they continue to meander, Rebecca finally unloads on Randall all the feelings she’s been holding in. She had promised herself she would tell Randall when he was 15 (and then 16) because she knew it would hurt him, especially since William had been so poorly off when she first met him. She feels guilty for him not having enough time with William. But Randall counters that he had enough time with his father to know he was loved and that was good enough.

On the Kevin front, he’s trying to get the New York Times critic to come to the second opening night of the play but he’s not having it. He alsow ants to share the fact he’s dating Sophie with his family but she’s not ready. She’ll be there but she’s not going to sit with them. The play goes off really well and the family has nothing but positive things to shower upon Kevin. Kevin even tells Sophie afterwards that he came to New York to win her back and he’s going to wait however long it takes for her to believe that. Cue them falling into bed together. And then Ron Howard calls. He was in the audience with his niece and he wants Kevin to be in a movie he’s shooting out in LA. Please dear God Kevin, don’t make the same mistake you made with Sophie before. Don’t put your career ahead of your love. Oh and in spectacular fashion, Randall swings by the office and confronts his boss for being such a heartless jerk this whole time. Randall helped build the company to what it is and all he got was a box of fruit he’s allergic to and a generic printed card? So he up and quits his job. Good for him! Go take some walks or turn the music up and roll through the neighborhood like William would have done.

And as we end, we find Toby and Kate packing for LA and he reminds her of her promise to share things bout Jack’s death. We still don’t know how it happens but Kate does drop quite the bombshell on Toby and the rest of us. According to her, Jack’s death was her fault and she’s been holding onto that for so many years. This leads me to think something happens when Jack goes off to apologize to Rebecca on tour (since Kate pushed him to go and do just that). That is an awful weight to be carrying around for half your life, especially for a teenager. No kid should have to feel like their parent’s death was their fault. I really hope Kate can find a way to heal from these wounds because she deserves to be happy and not have to bear that burden anymore. Man, I’m so not ready for next week’s finale.

Once Upon a Time 6.11: “Tougher Than The Rest”

“This is on me. The wish I made to give the Evil Queen what she deserved. It brought him here. Now, I am not going to wake Snow until I fix this.”
- David

Well it’s been three months since we last checked in with the denizens of Storybrooke and boy are they in quite the pickle. Emma and Regina are still stuck in the Wish Realm (thanks to wish-Robin showing up) and Rumple and Belle have a grown (and evil) son to deal with who is likely to end up on the not-so-nice end of a hook and a sword. Before we pick up with the action where we left it, we get a glimpse into Emma’s past. We find her on the streets as a pre-teen in winter. She’s burning pages from a fairytale book to keep warm when an older boy (part of me wondered for a second if it was August and he just didn’t know her) stops her and explains his version of the Ugly Duckling. And thus, we see Emma get her last name!

In Storybrooke, Hook and Charming are off to find Gideon (although they don’t know it’s him) and Charming is kind of running on fumes and anger. Hook is right to call him out but David doesn’t seem to give a damn. He wants to keep his baby girl safe! And things aren’t any less confusing for the Gold family either. According to Gideon, the Black Fairy tried to turn him evil but he wouldn’t break thanks to Belle. But he’s still here to kill Emma because he’s laboring under the notion that if he does so, he gets her powers and the Savior mantle which he can then use to back to the Black Fairy’s realm and kick Grandma’s butt. Yeah buddy, I’m pretty sure that isn’t how it works! As Gideon meditates in the woods, Rumple goes to chat with his boy. He doesn’t think his son has what it takes to kill the Savior, not if he can’t even hit his own papa. But Rumple’s tough love approach isn’t going to win his son over. I suspect Belle won’t be able to talk him out of it either. But she certainly thinks she can talk him down when she pays David and Hook a visit. They’ll try it her way but she has to be ready for them to take action if her way doesn’t work.

In the Wish Realm, Emma and Regina promptly get robbed by Robin and have to hide from Henry and his guards. But as they duck behind some driftwood, Emma gets an idea. They can use the magic wardrobe to get home. Unfortunately, this version of Pinocchio dismantled it years ago as it reminded him of the time before the Evil Queen was defeated. It was nice to see August again and he was pretty quick to trust Emma and Regina’s story. But, as they plot to build a new wardrobe, Regina goes off to see if this version of Robin (who interestingly hasn’t aged) is better off without her.

Regina finds Robin in the pub he’d been in the night she chickened out back in the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, while her presence gives them some privacy (people are littler climbing out windows to get away from her) and it looks like they may have a chance to reconnect, the Sheriff of Nottingham shows up and arrests them both (slapping that damned magic suppressing cuff on Regina’s wrist). Emma and August aren’t having much luck either. They’ve found a magic tree and she fills him in on her Savior destiny when old Hook (complete with awful hair and beer belly) shows up to rescue her. Lord I hope she kicks his ass! Well she sort of does but it’s mostly because he’s drunk and old and stupid. That’s my kind of Hook! Unfortunately, when Hook went sprawling thanks to Emma’s magic, he broke August’s magic chisel so he can’t carve the tree. Meanwhile, Robin and Regina have a heart to heart where he admits he never had love and isn’t really happy. She’s hopeful and when wish Rumple shows up to free them, she’s practically beaming. Until he reveals that the Evil Queen killed Belle and he wants to make someone bleed. Oh no!

Emma tries chiseling the tree herself but it doesn’t work. As she sets the tool in the box, she finds a box with her name on it and a swan carved inside. She confronts August and r3ealizes it was in fact him in our world as a kid giving her advice. Makes me wonder why he couldn’t just stick around with her then. Anyway, She and August go back to the tree and start to chisel their way home. Robin and Regina share some more moments in Rumple’s dungeon as she explains where she came from and who he used to be. And then he busts them out. I want them to go back to our world together but I know the actor who plays Robin only is in a few episodes. I’m not ready to have Outlaw Queen back if it’s going to be yanked away again!

After a little worrying, Regina, Emma and Robin get back to our world and Regina is thrilled! Emma is on her way home when Gideon pops in and we see the battle that has been plaguing Emma all season. But she changes her fate and doesn’t let him kill her. Instead, she’s got a piece of the sword’s broken blade to his throat when Gold begs her not to kill his son. Gideon disappears in a puff of smoke again bemoaning he doesn’t need papa’s help. Things aren’t all happy though because Gideon is still out there and Snow is still asleep under the curse. We end with Gideon destroying the clock tower as his parents share a rather gentle moment by the well. Rumple swears he’s not going to use the shears on his son and he never wanted what’s happening. He wanted his boy to grow up as a boy should. And if they are going to find a way to stop him and get their child back, they’re going to need to do it together. I have to say, I know they aren’t true love anymore but I want them to work through this and actually team up.

MTVP Binges Out: "Atlanta" Season One

I’m a big fan of Donald Glover from his work on “Community” and his very different, but equally memorable turn as Rich Purnell in “The Martian.” So when I heard positive reviews of his new FX show, “Atlanta,” I decided to check it out. I wouldn’t say it was one of my favorite shows ever, but it was definitely an enjoyable ten episodes with a lot of potential. I liked the lo fi aesthetic and how it just attempted to depict people as they are. There were a couple episodes that were a bit too experimental for my taste, but when the show focused on the misadventures of Glover’s “Earn” Marks, a kind of hapless wannabe rap manager, the show was at its best. I appreciate shows with a sense of place, and while I’ve only been to Atlanta twice, I think Glover achieved that. I can’t vouch for how “Atlanta” the show actually is, but it definitely had a particular viewpoint and Earn was operating in a pretty defined world.

“Atlanta” is, as I mentioned, primarily the story of Earnest “Earn” Marks, a Princeton drop-out who wants to try and finally provide for his daughter by managing the career of his rapper cousin, Paper Boi. Earn is on and off with his daughter’s mother, Van, who really wants a better life for her family and continually tries to push Earn to be a better provider and just a more supportive partner in general. Then there’s Paper Boi (real name Albert) and his crew, most notably his pal Darius. In many episodes, Albert and Darius have some humorous side-plot happening while Earn is experiencing his own misadventures. They really provide more of the overt, more slapstick humor in the series. There are also a bunch of memorable one-off characters, like an overly ambitious vlogger named Zan, a black Justin Bieber (a kind of surreal gag that also had its funny moments), and Craig, a rich white guy who has basically made black culture a hobby.

At the Television Critics Association press tour this past August, Glover said, “The thesis with this show was to show people what it’s like to be black, and you can’t write that down. You have to feel it.” I’m a white person who has lived most of my life in suburbia (I was raised in an outer ring suburb of Philadelphia, went to college in rural Central Pennsylvania, and I currently live in a suburb in Maryland). Other than three years I spent living in downtown Baltimore and a year I spent living in an inner ring Washington, DC suburb, I haven’t experienced as much beyond how I was raised as I probably should have. So I feel like I don’t really have the authority to say whether or not Glover reached his goal. I will say that two of the characters in “Atlanta” have made me start giving more thought to how I go about being an ally to the black community in Baltimore. Or at least these characters have clearly shown what not to do. Both of the characters I’m referencing are major cultural appropriators. One is a DJ at a radio station, and the other is Craig, who I have already mentioned.

My favorite episodes of the first season center around Earn going on sort of wild goose chases to solve a problem. I think the humor of a situation like that transcends cultures. The first episode of this nature that really held my attention was “The Streisand Effect.” Earn needs some money and is going to pawn his cell phone. Darius promises he has a way to get even more cash and encourages Earn to trade the phone for a katana sword. The sword is then traded for a dog that goes to a breeder. The breeder says that when the dog produces puppies, Earn will be paid handsomely. Earn explains to Darius a truth that many of us already know. It’s expensive to be poor. When you’re poor, you’re just trying to survive – you can’t afford to invest. Earn needed the money from the phone now to put food on the table for his daughter, not the money from the puppies months from now. Darius takes pity on Earn and gives him another cell phone to trade in. The other episode of this nature that liked was the season finale, where Earn retraces his steps trying to find a jacket he lost at a crazy party, and increasingly bizarre things happen. It’s not the jacket Earn really cares about though. It’s a key in the pocket of the jacket. And that’s all I’ll say about that to keep the ending of the season a surprise.

There were a couple episodes that were a bit too experimental for my taste, although I wouldn’t say either were bad, per se. One was “Value,” where Van goes out to dinner with an old friend and realizes they don’t have all that much in common anymore (although they do smoke week together, which causes Van all sorts of trouble). I guess this one was really just experimental in that it focused on Van and not the guys. It was an interesting story, and I’m glad the creative team decided to try and tell and episode from Van’s perspective, but I don’t find her all that compelling of a character. The most experimental episode was “B.A.N.” which was entirely a fictionalized talk show that Paper Boi was participating in to discuss transphobia. There were parody commercials and everything. I think this episode was mostly lost in translation for me, since I have never really watched B.E.T. I am sure there were plenty of specific things that they were sharply parodying that I just didn’t pick up on.

Overall, “Atlanta” introduced me to the “real” Atlanta. That is, the Atlanta outside the Peachtree Center hotels I’ve stayed at for conferences and the Poncey-Highland neighborhood where I once had a delicious lamb burger at Richard Blais’ Flip Burger Boutique (the beginning of my foodie tendencies). The Atlanta where people actually live and interact and try to survive. And in that sense, Glover and his creative team were extremely successful. The writers’ room was comparatively green compared to most TV shows, and I think that had a (positive) role in the show’s lo fi aesthetic. The show feels very lived-in, like you’re just dropping into the middle of the lives of Earn and his friends. I’m excited to see what this team does with the concept moving forward as they gain more experience.

The Long Road to Air: “Emerald City”

Way back in 2014, when Jen and I were at San Diego Comic Con, one of the new shows NBC was touting was “Emerald City”, a darker reimagining of the tale of Oz we all know. I was intrigued by the premise (more so than any of the other Oz-centric pilots being tossed around at that time). I’m still not quite sure what it says that this was the only one to ever see the light of day. But, it did take 2 development seasons to get here. First, there was a change in executive producer because the vision that the network had wasn’t jiving with the producer’s idea of how the story should go. Then, we slowly got casting news and finally, the show made it to air.

The show was billed as an “event series” which used to mean mini-series or a one-and-done season show. Now, that’s not a bad thing. Shows like that can be great and tell a compelling story given they only have a finite number of episodes to get the plot across. I personally think the fact it took so long for Emerald City to make it on the air should have told everyone involved that given this status, it should have actually just been a one-and-done (as it is, the ratings have been subpar and given the strength of NBC’s other shows right now, renewal is a slim chance at this point). But, the way the season ended definitely leaves it open for a next season. And that is so frustrating. Maybe my expectations were too high or skewed, assuming given the way the show was billed and its ratings that it would provide resolution and now more questions.

As I said at the start, the original premise of the show intrigued me. I liked that it was going to be grittier and pull from some of the later Oz-centric books that were published. But, the execution was sorely lacking. We were given a slowly plodding story with characters we didn’t really connect with and way too many plots. Yes, there was the twister that brought Dorothy from Kansas to Oz. Yes, we met versions of the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow. But they weren’t very deep characters. When characters met their ends, I wasn’t moved or gutted in any way really. Similarly, the tension between the Cardinal Witches and the Wizard should have been intriguing but it was only mildly interesting. Perhaps part of the problem was also that there were way too many plotlines going on at once. You had Dorothy and her trek to Emerald City and dealing with the Wizard. You had Tip and West dealing with their drama but also West and North clashing. You had Emerald City and the City of Ev clashing as well. It was all just too much going on. Oh, and you also had Dorothy and Lucas and their pseudo-romance. Sure, they’re both pretty but there wasn’t a whole lot of chemistry between them.

I understand they were trying to build the backstory of the world (with the Beast Forever coming back to ruin the land and the feud between the science-based Wizard and the magic-wielding witches) but they could have done that much quicker and gotten to the far more interesting part of how Dorothy fit in and what her powers were. They gave her magic but never explained how it was possible, since they also established that witches are only born from Mother South. Besides, if we believe the other characters, Dorothy was born of an interloper, not a witch. So how could she wield the power of the Witch of the East? Also, when the finale ends and Lucas comes to bring Dorothy back to Oz to stop the Beast Forever, I was honestly expecting a resolution, not a cliffhanger. Also, it let you wondering, how could Lucas show up and not want to kill Dorothy after she left him strung up like a scarecrow again? What happened to dilute Glinda’s magic over him?

Now, the show wasn’t all bad. The visuals were absolutely stunning. I can’t imagine how much they spent on sets and shooting on location but it had to be pretty expensive. And whoever did the costuming should be praised as well. Some of the outfits worn by the witches were fantastic. Unfortunately, the beauty of the scenery and costumes just wasn’t enough to make up for the faults in the show. Also, I was a little disappointed that when they tried to tackle a transgender issue with Tip, they ended up just making Tip female because that’s how she was born and that’s the only way the witches would follow her to retake Emerald City. I’m not saying it should have been pushing a political agenda (that’s not really what this show is about) but it would have been far more interesting to see Tip be who Tip wants to be and see that rest of the kingdom fall in line. It could have given such a strong message to people. It felt like a partially wasted opportunity.

So, in the end, I think NBC would have been better off had they not spent all the time to make this show come to fruition. Sometimes, when something doesn’t work and you take another look at it, you have to accept that it just isn’t going to work out no matter how much you want it to. Maybe with different writers or team behind it, the show could have been stronger and earned more airtime the following year. But what we were given was just not enough in my opinion to justify giving it more episodes next season. There are better ways to establish the world (see Shannara Chronicles) and move a similar quest-like plot forward with multiple storylines without it dragging like Emerald City did. I don’t regret watching the show but I do wish it had been time better spent with these characters.

Fresh off the Boat 3.10: "The Best of Orlando"

“It’s grandma! She’s in as long as we give her a cut of the profits and a steady supply of green apple Blow Pops.”
-Eddie

I liked this particular episode of “Fresh off the Boat,” even if the plot wasn’t especially consequential. It continued to explore the relationship between Jessica and Louis, which I enjoyed, and Louis learned some lessons about valuing his wife in the process. When Louis wins Orlando Small Businessman of the Year, Jessica can’t stop singing his praises, and Louis has to learn to show his appreciation of Jessica with similar enthusiasm. There was also another great bit of 90’s nostalgia in this one – none other than JNCO Jeans. I did not own a pair myself as a teen (I actually thought they were pretty stupid in their heyday), but I do love me some 90’s nostalgia. The JNCO plot also had a cool connection to the real-life Eddie Huang, who has had his own street fashion line. I do wonder if the real Eddie Huang has ever gone back to watching the show that he inspired, because while the fictional Huang family seems less dysfunctional than the real-life version, the show does address many of the issues Eddie champions, and they do nod to his real-life achievements and interests.

At the beginning of the episode, Louis brings home an important envelope he received at work. He has been named Orlando Small Businessman of the Year, and there is going to be a reception in his honor. Jessica is thrilled, and while Louis wants to keep the event low-key, Jessica has other ideas. She loves the idea of an awards ceremony because it is a chance to brag and show off her husband, who is clearly the best. She invites Deirdre (as payment for all the Tupperware parties she has attended), and she has a very passive aggressive conversation with her sister, Connie. She pretty much invites everyone in the Orlando area that they have ever met, and she enlists Evan’s help in the effort, of course.

Meanwhile, Louis takes Eddie and Emery shopping for outfits for the event. And this is where Eddie encounters JNCO jeans while Louis is distracted by cologne. Eddie desperately wants the jeans, but Emery has less than three dollars and a warm yellow Starburst in his pocket, so they clearly can’t afford it. Emery thinks he has a solution, though. He gets Grandma Huang to sew up a pair of knock-offs. Eddie is impressed until he realizes the jeans aren’t the real deal. Emery doesn’t want Grandma’s work to go to waste, so he wears the jeans to school. Everybody thinks they’re great, and girls start really noticing him, even though he’s just a sixth-grader.

It’s the night of the awards banquet, and a whole crowd is there to cheer Louis on. He’s afraid of microphones, but when it’s time to give his speech, Louis performs rather admirably. He thanks his best friend Marvin, his Cattleman’s Ranch staff, and his boys. He just forgets to thank Jessica. Everyone notices, too. There’s a very passive aggressive message on the answering machine from Deirdre asking if Jessica is okay. There’s one from Connie, too. Louis feels horrible and tries to apologize with a bowl of wooden fruit (because it won’t die like flowers), but Jessica isn’t having it. She makes a really good point about how she’s always bragging on Louis, but he completely forgot her at the awards banquet. Just as the argument is about to get really heated, the anchor team from the local morning show call – they want to interview Louis. Both Louis and Jessica see this as his opportunity to thank her properly, and Evan is instructed to bring the contact list to Jessica can once again call everyone they know. Louis is just about to give his big thank-you to Jessica when the program cuts to an armadillo giving birth on the highway. Again, Jessica is treated to passive aggressive phone messages from their friends.

The popularity of Emery’s pants gives Eddie an idea. He may hate that the pants are knock-offs, but clearly his classmates don’t. So why not sell the pants for half the price of real JNCOs. He figures they can easily enlist Grandma’s help with a cut of the profits and a steady supply of green apple Blow Pops. Eddie is right, of course, and they easily make sales to their classmates. When the principal discovers this, Eddie is worried they’ll be shut down, but the principal is just impressed with the craftsmanship. Eddie thinks that now their operation is “licit,” nothing can stop them. The principal does end up stopping them, but not in the way they anticipated. He buys a pair of JNCOs for himself and wears them at school, instantly making the jeans “uncool” to the students. Eddie and Emery are left with a lot of inventory, but Grandma still demands her full payment due to the “craftsmanship.” Eddie and Emery are left only a few dollars to the good after paying expenses. It seems to me like it was a good first attempt at fashion entrepreneurship, though.

Louis hides out at Marvin’s house after the morning show disaster. Jessica looks for him there, but Marvin covers for him. Louis can’t figure out how to possibly make all this up to Jessica, especially considering she doesn’t like candy or flowers. Marvin suggests Louis ask for advice from someone who knows Jessica really well. Louis, naturally, enlists the help of Evan. They stage a “Huang house” edition of the awards banquet, and Louis gives a new version of the speech where he goes out of his way to thank Jessica. Jessica does truly appreciate the gesture, which she should because it was a nice, heartfelt speech where Louis admits that all the work Jessica does is usually overlooked. She says it means more in front of an audience of one. Jessica extrapolates on this literally, though, and she takes Louis around to each of the guests they invited to the reception and has him recite the new speech to each of them individually. It’s many audiences of one.